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Getting Ready For The 12 th Edition!
The 12th edition of the St Barth Cata-Cup, organized by the St Barth Multihulls Association, takes place on November 20-24, 2019. There are already 59 racing duos, representing 11 nations, which have confirmed their participation in this competitive event reserved for Formula 18 catamarans.
These include those who never miss this regatta no matter what, a handful of newcomers attracted by the concept and the extremely convivial ambiance of the event, as well as a few super stars who enjoy the high-level island racing, which is as technical as it is idyllic.
Even if the roster seems somewhat diverse, excitement in the battle for the top spot is already mounting. Who will win the title this year? Will Belgians Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani, current champions, be the first team to win a triple play? Or Greek Konstantinos Trigonis, who missed a second victory by a hair in the last edition, will he be back to take top honors with his usual acolyte, Iordanis Paschalidis? Or how about Argentineans Cruz Gonzales Smith and Mariano Heuser, third in the class as the last world championships in July, will they succeed in their quest for the top step on the podium? Or will someone else swoop in for a surprise victory? It’s anyone’s race to win!
© Michael Gramm
The starting gun for the 12th edition of the St Barth Cata-Cup will be fired in less than two months. There are already 59 teams of two signed up to race, proof that this F18 competition continues to be a success. “The St Barth Cata-Cup is now considered a classic. As far as I am concerned, when I do my annual race schedule, this is the first regatta I register for. The timing is good for a lot of professional racers, like me, as it comes at the close of the season. It’s a little like the cherry on the cake to end the year. The level of competition is excellent and the ambiance is super convivial. Not to mention it’s a well- organized regatta. Not to be missed!” insists Gurvan Bontemps, who has signed up for his ninth appearance in the event, sailing once again with Benjamin Amiot—who was absent in 2018. Perfect partners, these two sailors had a great season on the D35 circuit in Switzerland, and are certain to be among those chasing the title, even if the competition promises to be tough.
Benjamin Amiot & Gurvan Bontemps - © Pierrick Contin
It’s been true since the beginning that the St Barth Cata-Cup attracts the best of the current Formula 18 racers, and that holds true again this year with the presence of Argentineans Cruz Gonzales Smith and Mariano Heuser, as well as Konstantinos Trigonis from Greece. The three of them were on the podium at the last F18 world championships in July in Spain, and are logically considered serious competitors, as they have proven to be at the last two Cata Cup editions.
One difference is that this time, Trigonis will not be sailing with Iordanis Paschalidis, but with Marc Pirinoli. “Iordanis will not be in Saint Barth this year, as he is currently training for the Olympics in the Nacra 17 class with Myrto Papadopoulou, and their world championships, qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is also scheduled in late November in New Zealand. So I will be partnering with Marc, who is very familiar with sports catamarans, and like me, comes from the Tornado catamaran class, on which he represented Italy at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996,” explains the Greek sailor, who has already sailed successfully alongside the Italian, as they took second place at the Archipelago Raid in Sweden recently, but will certainly have a hard nut to crack with the large number of great champions they’ll be facing in Saint Barth.
Who’s Who
© Michael Gramm
Among these champions, one can cite, amongst others, Jean- Christophe Mourniac, Erik Maris, Emmanuel Boulogne, who has not missed a single edition of the Cata Cup since the first one in 2008 which he won, Coraline Jaunet, Orion Martin, Alexis Rochat, winner of the D35 trophy at the Bol d’Or 2019, as well as Belgians Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani, who are part of the small group of double winners of this regatta along with Dutchmen Misha Heemskerk and Eduard Zanen.
“The St Barth Cata-Cup is a challenge we really enjoy. There is no chance we would miss it, especially as the weather Belgium in November is not as nice (laughs)! It’s also a good pretext to meet up with friends, including the organizers who do everything conceivable to host us, not to mention sail in an idyllic setting and compete against the best on the international stage, and even if today, we have started to get a little rusty, we still have good reflexes,” jokes Olivier Gagliani, who is clearly in better shape than he indicates as seen in his victory at the Raid Emeraude this summer as a duo with Yvan Bourgnon, and his prowess in Classe A. “The triple play? Yes, on paper, that is the dream but it would almost be a hold-up given the roster for this race,” adds the Belgian, who only missed the first edition of the St Barth Cata-Cup, and who knows that each year, the competitors, including the newcomers, are likely to thwart all of the prognostics!
Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani - © Michael Gramm
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24/11/2024
After literally crushing the competition at the F18 World Championships on the Costa Brava last summer, Pablo Volkër & Federico Polimeni (Saint-Barth Assurances) were naturally among the top contenders at 16th édition of the St.Barth Cata Cup. While they lived up to their reputation by winning the first race of this regatta, they met with some stiff competition from their adversaries, in particular Patrick Demesmaeker & Olivier Gagliani (Les Perles de St Barth – Bativrd). Behind the Belgians by three slim points at the dawn of the day of the final race, the Spaniards prevailed and sailed to victory, succeeding Ravi Parent & Nicolas Lovisa as winners of this regatta!
23/11/2024
This week, it has been impossible to predict what might happen in terms of the weather conditions in Saint Barthélemy. Actually, there was more wind than predicted on Thursday and Friday, which allowed the race committee for the St.Barth Cata Cup to validate four races, against all odds, but the reverse played out on Saturday. Even if the wind was less constant than expected, it was possible for the 53 duos in competition to sail one good race between the Bay of Saint Jean and the small islands of Pelé and Le Boulanger. A race whose results tightened the difference between the leaders in the overall standings. Case in point, in the lead, Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani (Les Perles de St. Barth – Bativrd) are now only three small points in advance of Pablo Volkër and Federico Polimeni (Saint-Barth Assurances), winners of the “ St Barth Assurances Allianz” Prize. To win their bet of being the first team to add their names to the winners list of the regatta for the third time, the Belgians do not have the slightest room for error on Sunday!
22/11/2024
“If you listen to the weather forecast, you’ll spend your life in the bistro,” as the famous French saying goes. The organizers of the St.Barth Cata Cup once again proved that one shouldn’t depend the previsions. Cautious this morning, they sent out the first race, followed by a second identical one, and finally a third, longer course, in the afternoon, taking the best advantage of every light wind available. Like yesterday, the conditions forced the sailors to display a great deal of concentration and finesse. A little consistency as well, as the rather unstable wind dealt some interesting hands. In this context, Australians Ruben Booth and Joan Costa (Kiton) proved the most constant, taking home “EDEN ROCK VILLA RENTAL” Prize, but in the previsionary standings, Belgians Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani (Les Perles de St-Barth) have the advantage, having sailing to victory in two of the three races.
21/11/2024
In spite of rather pessimistic weather predictions for Thursday, November 21, the organizers of the 16th edition of the St.Barth Cata Cup did everything possible to make the best of light wind. As a result, they didn't miss the only small window of opportunity of the day, enabling the 53 crews in the competition to complete their first race between Saint Jean Bay and Roche Le Boeuf. It was a particularly tactical leg, which did not rattle the favorites. As proof, Spaniards Pablo Völker and Federico Polimeni (Saint-Barth Assurances) sailed to victory. However, these reigning Formula 18 world champions had their work cut out for them. Under pressure in the final lengths by Belgians Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani (Les Perles de St-Barth), they won by a nose!
20/11/2024
After the final day of training on Wednesday, the 54 duos registered for the 16th edition of the St.Barth Cata Cup are anxious to enter into the action, yet it seems as if the first races could be extremely tactical. If we are to believe the weather forecast, it is probable that the first confrontations will take place with very light wind, requiring a great deal of finesse on the part of the sailors. One hopes this does not mean that the first races must be postponed due to an insufficient amount of wind to ensure good racing conditions. It that scenario were to play out, it was be a first since the debut of the regatta in 2008. At the moment, the competitors are not too worried and are hoping for a pleasant surprise as the weather forecast has been far from reality most of the past week!
15/11/2024
In just one week, the starting signal for the 16th edition of the St. Barth Cata Cup will be given. As of now, no fewer than 54 teams are registered for the competition, including Pablo Völker and Federico Polimeni, the Spanish sailors who won gold at the Formula 18 World Championships last July. Participating together in the event for the very first time, they will face the top specialists of the class, most of whom are seasoned veterans of the event. In this context, will they manage to display the same dominance on the Caribbean waters from November 21 to 24 as they did on the Costa Brava last summer? That remains to be seen. Firstly, because the race format—characterized by long-distance courses—is quite unique; secondly, because the sailing area around Saint-Barthélemy is extremely technical and full of pitfalls; and finally, because there are many competitors aiming to succeed the Americans Ravi Parent and Nicholas Lovisa, starting with Parent and Lovisa themselves!
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